


In The Shadows Lies A Secret

by ResidentAnchor



Series: Short Stories and Prompts [5]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Creepy, Dark, Missing persons cases, Not too terribly bad, Shadows - Freeform, Spooky, creatures sort of... possessing people kind of?, things moving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-11
Updated: 2019-11-11
Packaged: 2021-01-27 12:07:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21391885
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ResidentAnchor/pseuds/ResidentAnchor
Summary: Dark and creepy things never bothered Patton... But when things start turning toward the strange when he starts living on his own, he turns to his friends for help. What does a missing persons case from 30 years ago mean for him? Warning: Creepy and not a happy ending.
Series: Short Stories and Prompts [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1403092
Comments: 10
Kudos: 84





	In The Shadows Lies A Secret

**Author's Note:**

> My Halloween fic I wrote based off of an old idea of mine.

_ Summer, 1987 _

_ “I’m telling you, I know what I saw!” _

_ “I believe you, I’m just saying! How could you have seen him if he’s been missing for years? No one’s seen him in decades!” _

_ “I don’t know, Rem, but I know it was him! I’m sure of it!” _

_ “Just… Drop it? Please? I don’t like this, it doesn’t feel right.” _

_ “....” _

_ “Look, I just don’t want something bad to happen to you and this whole thing is creepy. I _ know _ you like creepy things but… You know I wouldn’t speak up otherwise.” _

_ “... Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. I… I should just forget about it.” _

_ “I doubt you’ll be able to forget but just… try and let it go?” _

_ “Sure. No more ghost hunting. Come on, let’s get home before the sun goes down.” _

_ “Hey.... Thanks.” _

_ “Yeah, shut up and let's go.” _

  
  
  
  


_ Present day, 2017 _

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Patton.” The man leered into the studio apartment, scanning it carefully. “It’s rather… small.”

“Sure it is, but it’s mine!” Patton walked over and sat down on the couch facing a tv stand that held no television itself. “This is a futon so this is where I’ll be sleeping until I can get an actual bed.”

“That is where you’re sleeping? That can’t be healthy!”

“Roman, it’s fine!” Patton leaned back into the couch and grimaced a bit. “Besides, I have my eyes on a few of those city yard sale sites for a new bed. I snagged this for like, twenty bucks!”

Roman’s nose scrunched up at the unruly sight of the futon and sighed. He had helped bring it in the first time before the apartment was cleared out and it didn’t look any better in its new surroundings than it did the first time he saw it. “I mean, it’s not the most disgusting thing I’ve ever seen… and as long as you plan on getting an _ actual mattress, _I can let it slide. I don’t know why you didn’t just wanna crash at my place!”

“Because, Roman! I can’t keep relying on other people. You and Logan have been roommates for years and there’s hardly enough room for the two of you!” Roman sighed and nodded, agreeing with that statement. “I’ll be fine. It’s just until I can afford some real furniture.”

“I don’t know how you found this place.” Roman walked over to the only window in the apartment and pulled back the blinds. “It’s the creepiest part of town!”

“I think it just gives it character!” Roman looked over to his best friend as he smiled optimistically on his second hand couch. “Don’t you?”

Roman shook his head and let out a sigh. “I don’t understand how you’re never bothered or creeped out by things like this.”

“I dunno, never have. My parents even told me stories as a kid where I just unplugged my night light and hid under my bed. Said I was looking for my imaginary friend made of shadows or something silly.” Patton turned and fell back onto his couch, staring up at the ceiling. “I just find the dark comforting.”

“You’re a weird cookie, Pat, but I wouldn’t have you any other way.” Roman turned and looked around the empty apartment, one box of Patton’s clothes still not put away into the closet and a small box simply labeled ‘kitchen’ sitting on the counter. “Well, I have you all moved in since there wasn’t much. I’ve got practice I need to get to but you can always call me to come back if you snag anything else for this place, okay?”

“Okay! Thank you, Roman!”

“I’ll lock the door on my way out!”

Patton listened to the sound of the door closing shut with a click before he smiled. “Worrywart.”

Patton enjoyed the silence around his apartment, the passing of cars on the busy street below mixed in with a few faint voices as they walked by. It was a nice ambient noise, one he was going to have to get used to but certainly didn’t mind.

It was sweet of Roman to be concerned. After all, after Patton’s last job laid him off with no notice, he had to scramble to find a new place he could afford. He didn’t know what he would do without his two best friends helping him out. They had been living together for convenience for years while Patton had a solitary apartment by himself. They always thought it was weird since Patton was very social, but even he needed to recharge his batteries in solitude once in a while.

He decided to get up and sort through what little he still had before making an early dinner. There wasn’t much he could do for entertainment until the internet was hooked up, but he had his laptop and a few things on that he could still play without internet. Or he could always open the browser and play that game with the cute little dinosaur!

Sure, things weren’t perfect, but he had gotten through worse! He just hoped he was able to sleep well that night.

  
  


_ Spring, 1996 _

_ “Patton?! Sweetie, where are you?! Come to mommy honey!!” _

_ “Mommy!” _

_ “Oh, Patton, don’t run off like that, you scared me!” _

_ “Sorry, mommy. I made a friend! He was super nice and said we can play later!” _

_ “Not today, sweetie. You know you shouldn’t talk to strangers, okay? Come on, let’s go home. And don’t run off on me like that again!” _

\---

Patton woke up the next morning _ exhausted. _ He blinked and groaned, his back crying out in pain. Slowly, he stretched and realized that he was no longer on the futon but on the floor, staring up at the ceiling. 

Not exactly how Patton wanted his first night to go, but he was determined to not let that bring him down! He slowly sat up, wincing as his back cracked, and looked up at the futon. Maybe he just rolled out of bed? There was a discount store a few blocks over, perhaps a few spare pillows would help him sleep better. Besides, he didn’t have anything for breakfast anyway. Time for an adventure!

Much more optimistic about everything, Patton got up and dug through his box of clothes to get dressed since he didn’t have a dresser yet. He looked out the window at the slightly windy and chilly air and threw on a light jacket as well. Maybe a coffee wouldn’t be too bad with his breakfast…

  
  


\---

Patton?” Logan called out. “Patton, are you alright?” 

Patton blinked a few times quickly and looked over at his friend. “Yeah, why?”

“You seem to keep spacing out. Have you been sleeping properly?”

Patton let out a humm and shook his head. “Not really. I can’t seem to get comfy on the futon. Half the time I wake up on the floor! And I keep having weird dreams...”

“Has this been happening only since you moved into your new abode?”

Patton frowned and shook his head. “No. I mean, I was worried about moving so I was having troubles then too, but I’m sure it’ll pass eventually.”

“Perhaps you should look into other methods to help you sleep?”

Patton sighed and looked at Logan before smiling. “Sure, lay it on me, Lo.”

“Oh. Well, if you’re looking for something to lay on top of you, a weighted blanket may be helpful.”

Patton chuckled at his friend’s misunderstanding. “Sure, I’ll keep that in mind. What else do you suggest?”

  
  
  


_ Late Summer, 1987 _

_ “Woah, babe, you look awful.” _

_ “Wow. Thanks, Remy. I feel so much better now.” _

_ “Look, I’m just worried! You look like you didn’t sleep at all last night!” _

_ “Ugh, yeah. It doesn’t feel like I did. I’ve been having this weird dream this week and last night I just couldn’t fall asleep at all. I felt like someone was staring at me.” _

_ “Well, it wasn’t me! And no one else was in our apartment last night.” _

_ “I know, I know…” _

_ “What was your dream about?” _

_ “I just was staring at my bed and not moving. And I kept trying to but it was like I was paralyzed and I start to panic. Then I wake up.” _

_ “That’s… a bit weird.” _

_ “Yeah, it’s really freaky when it’s happening but it sounds so stupid talking about it.” _

_ “It’s not stupid if it’s bothering you that much. Come on, we can go to the library and check out one of those books on dreams and laugh at all the stupid stuff it says.” _

_ “Yeah… sure, why not?” _

_ \--- _

  
  


Patton woke up on the floor, once more and groaned. Luckily, he had thought ahead and started placing cushions down where he kept waking up. He groaned and got up slowly, his feet protesting like he had been on them all night. 

“Roman was right. I need an actual bed…”

He reached up to his side table to turn on the lamp before he froze. The table was bare except for his phone that sat faced down. He looked up and around his barren apartment before he saw it, sitting underneath the window with the blinds closed.

“How did you manage to get over there?” He slowly walked over, his feet protesting the movement. He reached out and opened the blinds, not sure how they were closed in the first place. “A bit of light makes everything better! Now, come on, lamp. Back to your _ post. _” Patton chuckled at his little joke as he picked up his lamp and put it back on his table.

He was getting ready for his day when his phone started to ring. Running over, he was careful to pick it up and leave the lamp where it was before answering. 

“Hello? Roman! Sure, I’d love to come over for dinner after work tonight!”

\---

“Patton, we’re growing more concerned for you lately. You haven’t been sleeping properly in weeks!”

“I’m fine, really. Besides, I think I finally found a bed! It’s more than I want to pay but I honestly think I need it.”

  
Roman let out a sigh of relief and put down a bowl of dinner rolls on the table. “Good. I’ll help you pick it up and bring it to your place, just let me know when, okay?”

“You got it, Ro! I can’t wait to sleep in a bed again. I’m sure everything will go back to normal after.”

Logan furrowed his brows but kept quiet, still wary of what was to come.

\---

Roman let out a groan as he awoke to the sound of a chime ringing out repeatedly. “Logaaaan. Answer your phone.” He nudged his roommate in the back who woke up abruptly with a gasp. “Logan!”

“I got it…” Reaching out, he swiped on his phone, the screen too blurry to read without his glasses. He let out a soft hiss at the bright screen before answering. “Hello…?”

“Oh, sorry to wake you Logan. Um… It’s Patton, by the way.”

“Patton, are you alright?” Logan rubbed his eyes before sitting up, reaching out for his glasses carefully in the dark. “It’s the middle of the night.”

“Yeah, right, sorry. Um, I didn’t really plan on calling or anything. You know I’d let you sleep unless it was an emergency. Oh gosh, is this an emergency? I’m so sorry, I should have just let you sleep I’ll just go and--”

“Patton. PATTON! Breathe. Nice and slow.” Logan put on his glasses and stared at the clock, trying not to panic with his friend. “Now, tell me what’s wrong?”

“Um… I’m not at home.”

“Then where are you?” Logan looked over at Roman who was staring up, confused as to what was going on. Hearing half of the conversation didn’t help calm his worry. 

“The, uh… You know the woods at the edge of town?”

“The--why are you in the woods?”

“_ I don’t know… _ I woke up here and I had my shoes on and I left my phone in my jacket and it’s almost dead but I’m freaking out and I don’t know what’s going on…”

“Roman and I can be there shortly to pick you up, okay? No need to panic.” Logan heard a gasp and a ruffled static noise coming from the other side. “Patton?”

“Please hurry… I don’t think I’m alone.”

  
  


_ Fall, 1987 _

_ “Remy, wake up!” _

_ “Vee, do you have any idea what time it is?” The man grumbled into his pillow. “Let me sleep.” _

_ “No, Rem, please wake up.” Virgil reached out and shook his friend frantically. _

_ “Okay, geeze. What’s the emergency?” Remy looked up and blinked the sleep from his eyes, staring at his roommate. “Virgil, what’s wrong?” Remy immediately sat up, looking at his friend’s panicking eyes. “Hey, are you okay?” _

_ “No, I’m really not.” _

_ Virgil looked like he had been in full blown panic mode for a while. His hair was wild and he didn’t look like he slept in a week. Remy looked down and noticed he had his shoes on of all things. _

_ “Wait, where did you go?” _

_ “The woods.” _

_ “What for?” _

_ Virgil looked up at his friend as a tear slipped down his face. “I don’t know.” _

_ “You don’t know?” _

_ “I woke up there, Rem… and I wasn’t alone. I saw him again…” _

  
  


“Unacceptable, you’re staying with us tonight.”

Patton sat huddled in the back seat of their car. Roman had brought a spare coat as the seasons changed and wrapped it around Patton’s shoulders. 

“Okay…”

Logan sighed and glanced in the rearview mirror. “We’ve been really worried about you, Patton, and you keep shrugging these things off.”

“Yeah,” Roman turned around and looked at their friend. “We know creepy stuff never really bothered you, padre but… this has got to be weird, even for you.”

“Yeah…”

Roman turned to Logan who tensed up but kept his eyes on the road. “What do you remember, Patton? About tonight.” Roman asked, turning back to him as he spoke.

Patton shrugged and held the coat closer, staring at the floor of the car. “I dunno. I went to bed like normal and woke up standing in the woods.”

Roman nodded and frowned a bit. “And… were you alone?”

Patton opened his mouth to answer and froze, growing still. Roman patiently waited until Patton looked up and their eyes met. 

Patton’s eyes were red from exhaustion and tears. His face still wet from the tracks that ran down them that he was too tired to wipe away. He sniffled and took a shallow, stuttering breath before he shook his head. “I saw someone.”

“And did you know them?”

“Um… No, not personally. But I think I’ve seen them before.”

“How about we go home and try to sleep?” Logan glanced in the mirror briefly again. “I’ll take the couch and Patton can share the bed with you, Roman.”

“Logan, no-”

“I’m not taking any arguments on this.” Logan cut him off. “You need to sleep in a real bed.”

“I have been sleeping in a real bed!”

Roman scoffed. “That hand me down is hardly even a bed, Pat. I would know, I helped you bring it into your apartment!”

“Right…” Patton leaned back into the cushions and sighed. “Fine. Just for tonight.”

“We can talk about this in the morning, okay?”

  
  


Sleep didn’t come easy to any of them that night. Patton called into work and his tired voice made him sound off enough that they wished him well. They charged his phone for him and let him lay in bed, scrolling through the internet absently while his best friends cooked him breakfast.

They ate in silence around the table, Patton poking at his food and taking small bites, eating more of it than he thought he would be able to.

“So,” Logan finally spoke up, breaking the silence. “About last night.”

Patton dropped his fork and sighed. “I think it’s best we go back to my apartment. There’s something on my laptop I want to show you guys.”

Roman looked over at Logan concerned before nodding. “Okay, let’s finish up and we can go.”

\---

Patton turned the knob of his apartment door and tensed as it opened, his keys still in his hand. “Looks like I didn’t lock it…”

Logan and Roman shared a concerned glance as they all headed in. Roman reached for the light switch Patton seemed to have ignored and blinked at the state of the small apartment.

The lap was sitting tipped over underneath the window and all the blinds were closed. “A bit dark in here, huh Pat?”

Patton ignored them, reaching for his laptop and pulling it open. The futon was still pulled out and he turned to sit on it, waiting for it to boot up. 

“What is it you wanted to show us, Patton?”

“This.”

Patton clicked away a few times before turning his laptop around.

_ Man Goes Missing in Woods, Never Found _

Logan approached and scanned the news article that Patton had pulled up on his laptop. “Virgil Stone, 24, was last seen entering the Ward Lake Woods on late Friday morning. Witness says he followed after him but lost his trail. A search party was started--Patton, this is where we found you but… why do you have this on your laptop?”

“Because,” Patton scrolled and pointed to the photo of the missing person. “That’s who I saw in the woods. Virgil Stone.”

“That’s impossible!” Roman cried out. “This article is from thirty years ago! There’s no way this is the same person!”

“I know what I saw! This is him, I’m sure of it! And isn’t it weird that I saw him in the same exact woods I ended up in?”

Logan frowned as he stared at the face of the young man that went missing years ago. He looked up at his best friend, watching as he braced himself for what they had to say next. “Fine, if this is who you think you saw, then I’ll believe you.”

“Wha-Logan? You believe this?” Roman said, shocked. 

“Well, Patton isn’t known to lie and if that’s who he thought he saw, then I’ll believe him. There’s enough weird stuff going on already, don’t you think?”

“Well, yeah. Sure, I’ll give you that.” Roman held a hand out, silently asking for the laptop. Patton handed it over and watched as Roman scrolled down, pausing at the bottom. “There’s a name and contact here in case anyone sees him.”

“Yeah, Virgil’s best friend Remy. He was the last one to have seen him.” Patton spoke. “I’ve read just about everything about this disappearance. What about him?”

“Well,” Roman motioned to the screen. “You saw him, didn’t you?”

  
  


_ \--- _

_ Fall, 1987 _

_ The disappearance of Virgil Stone _

_ “Remy, this didn’t work the last two times we tried. Why would it now?” _

_ “Because I don’t have any other ideas!” Remy cried out, frustrated. “I don’t know what keeps happening other than you seem to sleepwalk right out the front door past me. So this time, I’m gonna sit right here!” Remy sat down, leaning against Virgil’s locked door. “And watch you to make sure nothing bad happens!” _

_ Virgil let out a sigh and laid down on his bed, pulling the blankets over him. “Thanks for trying anyway, Rem. I really appreciate it.” _

_ “I’m not giving up on you, Virgil. You’re my best friend, okay? We’ll figure this out.” _

_ Virgil decided not to answer. _

  
  


_ \--- _

“Hello? Is this Remy Picani?”

“Yes?”

“I’ve come to talk to you about, um… Virgil Stone?”

Patton froze as the line grew quiet. Eventually, he heard a sigh from the other end. 

“If you’re doing some paper on it, I’m not up to talking…”

“No, nothing like that! Um, my name is Patton Morales and I think I may have seen him?” 

“If this is some kind of prank-”

“No!” Patton cried out. “No, it’s not! I’ve been having these weird dreams and I guess I’ve also been sleepwalking? But I woke up in the woods the other day and he was right there, I swear! Oh, goodness, this sounds crazy now that I’ve said it out loud…”

“Sleepwalking?” Remy whispered. “You were sleepwalking and ended up in those woods.”

“Um, yeah. I know it sounds weird, but trust me! I know what I saw!”

“Tell me, Patton. Has this happened before? Weird dreams, sleep paralysis, exhaustion after you’ve woken up? Lighting fixtures moving around or breaking?”

Patton felt a cold sensation growing in his chest. Pure panic as everything the older man described was repeated back to him. “Um. Yes, actually.”

“You need to leave that city immediately.”

“E-excuse me?”

“This goes farther back than you can imagine. Virgil went through all the same stuff. He even saw someone else too.” Patton froze at the news. “His name was Thomas Sanders. He went missing back in the 50’s. No one ever found him. He just vanished from his home one day. Then, Virgil tells me he was searching the library and found an old news article. Turns out, this Thomas guy was who he had seen in the woods. I begged him to just drop it, but it wasn’t enough. Whatever he found had decided he was their next target.”

  
  


_ Fall, 1987 _

_ “Virgil!” Remy shouted, cursing himself for falling asleep. He didn’t expect his roommate to go out of the window on the second story, but it was too late for that. Somehow, he made it down relatively safe. Besides the slight limp he had at first, he seemed okay. _

_ But now Remy had to run after him into the woods, desperately trying to catch up. _

_ “VIRGIL!” He was so close, too. While Virgil seemed to be in a hurry, he was merely speed walking. Remy had woken up to an open window and empty bed, but just in time to catch his friend. _

_ He reached out, grabbing his wrist and spinning him around. “Virgil, let’s go back, okay?” Remy couldn’t hide his own panic anymore. _

_ Virgil stared at him, his eyes blank as he shook his head. “I made a promise…” _

_ “V-virgil?” _

_ “I have to keep it. I made a deal. I have to go.” _

_ “A deal? What kind of deal? When?!” Virgil ripped his hand out of his friend’s grip and turned, sprinting off into the woods. “Virgil?! WAIT, COME BACK!” _

  
  


“I spent hours looking for him after that. I called the cops and explained he went missing. They searched those woods for days. No one ever saw him again.”

“Oh my…”

“You need to leave that town immediately before the same thing happens to you, got it?”  
  
“ _ Remy dear, who are you on the phone with?” _

“No one, Em, I’ll be right there! …. Good luck, Patton. I really hope you make it out of this okay.”

\---

Patton sat down and talked to Logan and Roman about what he had learned. While still a bit skeptical, their worry and concern outweighed everything else.

“Luckily, you’re on a month to month basis with your rent since you never signed a lease. We can have you moved out by the end of the month.”

Patton nodded as Roman gathered his things. He had only been on his own for a few months and now he was back to square one. “Okay.”

“I can help sell your stuff while we try and search for a job for you a few towns over. Hopefully that’s far enough that whatever is going on will pass.”

“Sure.”

Roman stopped and approached Patton carefully. “I’m sorry about all this, Pat, but we just care about you. This is some strange stuff going on.”

“I know.” 

Roman stared at his friend, his bags under his eyes were deep and his eyes were glassy and tired. “We’ll treat you to dinner tonight and you can stay with us. Then, tomorrow, we’ll start getting you away from this place.”

Patton looked up and smiled. “Thanks, Roman. I don’t know what I’d do without you guys.”

Roman smiled back and went back to packing things up. As soon as his back was turned, Patton’s smile fell. 

“Patton, there is one thing I am still curious about.” Patton turned to Logan as he spoke. “You had all those articles because you had seen Virgil before. If the forest wasn’t the first time… when was it?”

_ “My name is Patton! What’s yours?” _

_ “.... It used to be Virgil.” _

_ “Well, what is it now?” _

_ “I… don’t know.” _

_ “Well, how come you came outta nowhere?” _

_ “... I came from the shadows.” _

_ “Wow! That’s so cool! Can you teach me to do that?!” _

_ The man smiled and held out his hand. “Do you promise to come with me one day?” _

_ “To play? I have to ask my mom first! But then can you teach me the shadow trick?” _

_ “Of course.” _

_ “Then I promise!” _

_ “Patton?! Sweetie, where are you?” _

_ “Sorry, I gotta go! Bye!!” _

_ “Come to mommy honey!!” _

_ “Mommy!” _

_ “Oh, Patton, don’t run off like that, you scared me!” _

_ “Sorry, mommy. I made a friend! He was super nice and said we can play later!” _

Patton blinked and shook his head. “A long time ago… and in some of my dreams, I think.”

“Well, that doesn’t matter. We’ll get you sorted out of here in no time.”

Patton turned to the corner near the window and watched the curtains move with a breeze. He blinked and wondered if there was a draft, since all the windows were closed. It was too cold to have any of them open. 

The curtain slowly drifted, pulling itself closed a bit before it stopped.

Patton smirked. Definitely not a draft.

“I think we should go.” The two turned to Patton who was still staring out the window. “It’s been a long day, you know? I just want to hang out with you two for today and try and forget about all of this.”

“Of course.” Roman put a few things down in a box and dusted his hands. “Let’s go have some fun.”

Patton held open the door and let both his friends leave before turning back into the apartment. He flicked the lights off and stared as it grew dark, suddenly seeing the shadows in his apartment shift around. With a nod, he closed the door and locked it before taking his key and placing it under the doormat before turning around and catching up to his friends.

\---

“Good night, Roman. Good night, Logan.” Patton curled up on the couch and smiled at them. “You guys are the best, you know that?”

“Anything for you, Pat.” Logan nodded, agreeing with Roman’s statement. “Just wake us if you need anything.”

“Sleep well, Patton. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Patton waited in the dark for a while, staring at the ceiling of the living room. He heard his friends walking about until they finally settled in themselves. He sighed and sat up, getting to his feet quietly. He made his way to the front door and gathered his shoes before quietly opening the door, sneaking out into the night.

  
Once outside, Patton slipped on his sneakers and made his way down the street. His hands started shaking and his heart was pounding in his chest as he walked, Remy’s words still ringing in his head. 

_ A promise. _

Patton barely made it to the park where the woods stretched before he saw him. A dark figure made purely of shadow standing at the edge of the woods. Patton froze and stared, blinking a few times to make sure it was actually there before he started walking closer. 

“Patton.”

“Virgil, right?”

The figure slowly started to look like the missing man as Patton approached. “His name was Virgil once, yes.”

“S-so… W-what are you?”

The figure didn’t answer.

“I… I don’t want to do this.”

“But you promised. It’s your turn. You made the deal.”

“Virgil” held out his hand and stood there, waiting. Patton stared at it, trembling in fear of what he was doing. “If… If I ran away…”

“It wouldn’t have mattered.”

Nodding, Patton slowly reached out and took the hand, gasping at how frozen it felt.  
  


“Thank you, Patton.”

Virgil smiled and closed his eyes, the darkness taking his form as he slowly began to disappear. Soon enough, Patton stood at the edge of the field alone. His hand still stretched out as if holding another and his eyes wide in surprise. Then, it fell and he blinked before slowly walking into the woods.

Patton knew that it was his turn, and the next person to see him wouldn’t be for a long while.


End file.
